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New Releases Sept. 3-9 & Reader’s Choice Contest

Take a deep breath—it’s a HUGE release week for all our favorite spec fiction genres: science fiction, fantasy, urban fantasy, paranormal romance, and YA paranormal. As always, an international giveaway, so start making a list, checking it twice, and read on to enter!

The Predicteds, by Christine Seifert

(Sept. 1, Sourcebooks Fire)

“We wanted to know what makes a good kid good and a bad kid bad. Can you blame us for that? We found an astoundingly, marvelously simple answer: The brain isn’t so much a complicated machine as it is a crystal ball. If you look into it, you will see everything you want to know.”-Dr. Mark Miliken, senior researcher at Utopia Laboratories

Who will it be? Will the head cheerleader get pregnant? Is the student council president a secret drug addict? The whole school is freaking out about PROFILE, an experimental program that can predict students’ future behavior. The only question Daphne wants answered is whether Jesse will ask her out…but he’s a Predicted, and there’s something about his future he’s not telling her. YA

Darkness Falls, by Cate Tiernan

(Sept. 5, Little, Brown)

Nastasya has lived for hundreds of years, but for some reason, life never seems to get better. She left her spoiled, rich-girl life to find peace at River’s Edge, a safe haven for wayward immortals. But just as she’s getting comfortable, her family’s ties to dark magick force her to leave. She falls back in with her ex-best friend, but is he a dangerous, power-hungry dark immortal? Or is he the only one who truly understands her darkness? Second in the Immortal Beloved series. YA

The Shattering, by Karen Healey

(Sept. 5, Little, Brown)

Seventeen-year-old Keri likes to plan for every possibility. She knows what to do if you break an arm, or get caught in an earthquake or fire. But she isn’t prepared for her brother’s suicide. When her childhood friend Janna tells her it was murder, Keri wants to believe her. After all, Janna’s brother died under similar circumstances years ago, and Janna insists a visiting tourist, Sione, has helped her find answers. As the three dig deeper, disturbing facts begin to pile up: one boy killed every year; all older brothers; all had spent New Year’s Eve in the idyllic town of Summerton. But when their search for the serial killer takes an unexpected turn, suspicion is cast on those they trust the most. YA

All These Things I’ve Done, by Gabrielle Zevin

(Sept. 6, Farrar, Straus and Giroux)

In 2083, chocolate and coffee are illegal, paper is hard to find, water is carefully rationed, and New York City is rife with crime and poverty. And yet, for Anya Balanchine, the sixteen-year-old daughter of the city’s most notorious (and dead) crime boss, life is fairly routine. That is until her loser ex-boyfriend is accidently poisoned by the chocolate her family manufactures and the police think she’s to blame. Suddenly, Anya finds herself thrust unwillingly into the spotlight—at school, in the news, and most importantly, within her mafia family. First in the Birthright series. YA

Archangel’s Blade, by Nalini Singh

(Sept. 6, Berkley)

The severed head marked by a distinctive tattoo should have been a Guild case, but dark instincts honed over hundreds of years compel the vampire Dmitri to take control. There is something twisted about this death, but Dmitri’s need to discover the truth is nothing to the vicious strength of his response to the hunter assigned to decipher the tattoo. Savaged in a brutal attack that almost killed her, Honor is nowhere near ready to come face to face with the seductive vampire who is an archangel’s right hand, and who wears his cruelty as boldly as his lethal sensuality. Fourth in the Guild Hunter series. PNR

Ashes, by Ilsa J. Bick

(Sept. 6, Egmont)

An electromagnetic pulse flashes across the sky, destroying every electronic device, wiping out every computerized system, and killing billions. Alex hiked into the woods to say good-bye to her dead parents and her personal demons. Now, desperate to find out what happened, Alex meets up with Tom, a young soldier, and Ellie, a girl whose grandfather was killed by the EMP. For this improvised family, it’s now a question of who can be trusted and who is no longer human. YA

The Beast Within, by Erin McCarthy,

Bianca D’Arc, and Jennifer Lyon (Sept. 6, Brava)

A new collection of novellas. In McCarthy’s The Howling, Liv faces the feral danger that comes alive only when she sleeps. In D’Arc’s Smoke On The Water, zombies roam wild in a lakefront village, and zombie hunter John Petit—and his new partner, Donna, must stop them. In Lyon’s Redeeming the Wizard, a once-powerful wizard, now a recluse, opens his door to the one woman who might be his ruin. PNR

Blood Spirits, by Sherwood Smith

(Sept. 6, Daw)

With the man she loves set to marry a lookalike princess, Kim Murray returns to California from the magical country of Dobrenica to heal her broken heart. But family politics soon have her leaving for London, where she is forced into a duel with a Dobrenican nobleman. He reveals that her great sacrifice, leaving Alec, was a disaster. To fix her mistake, Kim returns to Dobrenica, only to find ghosts and magic, murder and mystery await her. Once again Kim has to take sword in hand as she tries to make peace and learn the truth. Only, whose truth? UF

Dark Predator, by Christine Feehan

(Sept. 6, Berkley)

As brutal as the undead he hunted, Zacarias De La Cruz was a master executioner. Now his stark and savage journey has ended. For his brothers, Zacarias had walked to the edge of madness, but with centuries as a killing machine now left to the past and without a hunt to define him, Zacarias wonders who he really is. The answer awaits him in Peru, in the betrayal of a woman readying her trap, in the vengeance of an old enemy, in the inevitable consequences of a bloody family legacy—and in the deliverance of a lifemate he never could have imagined. The 22nd Carpathian novel. PNR

Dark Warrior, by Rebecca York

(Sept. 6, Berkley)

In the first century, Ionian priestesses made a bargain with cursed warriors called the Minot. When the truce fell apart, the Minot remained cursed, and the Ionians remained mistrustful of men. In modern-day Arizona, Jason Tyrone, son of a Minot and an outcast Ionian, has come to reclaim his heritage. At the Seven Sisters Spa, where the Ionian women live and hide their true identity, Jason falls in love with the beautiful Sophia Thalia—and their passion will re-ignite a conflict that could destroy the Ionians. First in a new series. PNR

Demon Marked, by Meljean Brook

(Sept. 6, Berkley)

Nicholas St. Croix knows the evil of demons intimately—he was raised by one. Now the woman he loves has disappeared, and he knows his “mother” is responsible. But Nicholas swears he’ll find her, even if he has to go to Hell and back. Seventh in the Guardian series. PNR

The Dragon Who Loved Me, by G.A. Aiken

(Sept. 6, Zebra)

Rhona the Fearless was raised for battle. Yet now she fights alongside uncivilized male Northland dragons who think a female is only good for breeding. But it’s the foolish and foolhardy who would try to stop her from doing what she does best—destroying the enemies of her kind. So the smartest thing wily barbarian Vigholf the Abhorrent can do is stay out of her way as she risks all on a deadly mission in enemy territory. Fifth in the Dragon Kin series. PNR

Envy, by J.R. Ward

(Sept. 6, Signet)

As the son of a serial killer, homicide detective Thomas DelVecchio Jr grew up in the shadow of evil. Now, on the knife-edge between civic duty and blind retribution, he atones for the sins of his father. Hired to monitor Veck is Internal Affairs officer Sophia Reilly, whose interest is both professional and arousingly personal. But Veck and Sophia have a common interest. He’s Jim Herron, a mysterious stranger enlisted to save the soul of a killer’s latest victim, one precariously hovering between heaven and hell. Third in the Fallen Angels series. PNR

The Fallen 3: End of Days, by Thomas E. Sniegoski

(Sept. 6, Simon Pulse)

The war between Heaven and Hell rages on. Aaron, half-angel and half-human, commands the Fallen in their quest to protect humanity. But evil forces gain strength at every turn. And lurking somewhere in the shadows is Archangel Gabriel’s instrument with the power to call down the End of Days. With the fate of the world hanging in the balance, Aaron will stop at nothing to defend civilization—and the girl who holds his heart. Even if it means venturing to Hell and back. YA

Ghosts by Gaslight: Stories of Steampunk and

Supernatural Suspense, edited by Jack Dann

and Nick Gevers (Sept. 6, Harper Voyager)

They are the stories that have enthralled readers for generations, tales of the supernatural featuring haunted houses, phantoms beneath the floorboards, ghostly coachmen, figures in the carpet, ghosts in the machine, and foggy, gaslit streets. Includes seventeen stories by authors including Peter S. Beagle, Sean Williams, Gene Wolfe, Garth Nix, Jeffrey Ford, and Robert Silverberg. UF

Haunting Beauty, by Erin Quinn

(Sept. 6, Berkley)

Danni always believed she was an abandoned child. Then the seductive Sean Ballogh appears out of nowhere with a startling story challenging everything Danni thought was true. He claims that Danni’s family has been searching for her ever since she disappeared twenty years ago. He’s come to take her home to Ireland. Now, Danni must rewrite history to save her family, to fight a force more evil than she ever imagined, and to reunite herself with the man she was destined for. PNR

Hellbent, by Cherie Priest

(Sept. 6, Spectra)

Vampire thief Raylene Pendle doesn’t need more complications. Her Seattle home is already overrun by a band of misfits, including Ian Stott, a blind vampire, and Adrian deJesus, an ex-Navy SEAL/drag queen. But Raylene still can’t resist an old pal’s request: seek out and steal a bizarre set of artifacts. Raylene’s biggest problem is that the death of Ian’s patriarch appears to have made him the next target of some blood-sucking sociopaths. Now Raylene must snatch up the potent relics, solve a murder, and keep Ian safe—all while fending off a psychotic sorceress. But at least she won’t be alone. A girl could do a lot worse for a partner than an ass-kicking drag queen—right? Second in the Cheshire Red Reports series. UF

The Hidden, by Jessica Verday

(Sept. 6, Simon Pulse)

Abbey knows that Caspian is her destiny. Theirs is a bond that transcends even death. But as Abbey finally learns the full truth about the dark fate that links her to Caspian and ties them both to the town of Sleepy Hollow, she suddenly has some very hard choices to make. Caspian may be the love of her life, but is that love worth dying for? Final book in the Hollow trilogy. YA

Immortal, by V.K. Forrest

(Sept. 6, Zebra)

Magnetic, fearless Fin Kahill has dedicated his life to ridding the world of its most vicious serial killers. Fin is used to roaming the earth freely—not getting stuck in sleepy Clare Point. But when the clan needs him close by, Fin agrees to take a summer job on the town’s tiny police force. He expects little excitement—until he meets Elena, an ethereal Italian beauty. When a serial killer strikes, Fin wonders if a member of his own clan is responsible. The only one he can turn to is Elena, but he discovers Elena may not be exactly who, or what, she appears. Third in the Clare Point series. PNR

Intimate Beings, by Jessica Inclan

(Sept. 6, Zebra)

Claire has an extraordinary secret ability—she can go anywhere at all, just by wishing it. And if the intensely attractive man who suddenly materializes in her car one day is any indication, Claire’s not the only one. Ever since Darl James learned of his true origins, he’s been searching for his partner and life mate, the one whose gift will complement and complete his own. Now that he’s found Claire, he vows to never lose her again. But keeping her safe won’t be easy when they’ve been marked for destruction by an evil, power-hungry race. PNR

Into the Hinterlands, by David Drake

and John Lambshead (Sept. 6, Baen)

When Allen Allenson, scion of a noble family that has fallen on hard times, gets a mission to roust the power-hungry Terrans from a “wild” star sector where they’re encroaching, he jumps at the chance to show his individual worth, improve his family’s fortunes, and gather enough lucre to make a good marriage. But the wily Terrans are not so easily persuaded by a young colonial they think of as a “rube.” Worse, “Riders,” the beings who naturally ply the wilderness between the stars, are playing their own deadly political games. SF

Isle of Night, by Veronica Wolff

(Sept. 6, NAL)

When Annelise meets dark and seductive Ronan, he promises her a new life—if she has the courage to chance the unknown. Now, she’s whisked away to a mysterious island and pitted against other female recruits to become a Watcher-girls who are partnered with vampires to assist them in their missions. To survive and become a Watcher, Annelise has to beat out every other girl, but she’s determined to do so, because to fail doesn’t mean dishonor—it means death. YA

Mark of the Rose, by Kate Pearce

(Sept. 6, Signet Eclipse)

Hearing that Henry VIII’s new queen is in danger, Rhys Williams engages the help of Verity Llewellyn, a lady-in-waiting eager to prove her abilities as a vampire hunter. Rhys suspects the weakening queen has fallen victim to a vampire. And the fact that she is pregnant makes the situation all the more dangerous. Third in the Tudor Vampire Chronicles series. PNR

Mark of the Sylph, by Rosalie Lario

(Sept. 6, Entangled)

Half-demon Taeg is desperate to free his pregnant sister-in-law from an indestructible book that will create an army of the undead—but to do it, he must uncover nothing less than the magically hidden sword Excaliber. Librarian Maya Flores has a secret: she’s immune to magic, Maya is Taeg’s best hope for uncovering the sword. Unfortunately, she wants nothing more than to kill him. Second in the Demons of the Infernum series. PNR

Midnight, by Ellen Connor

(Sept. 6, Berkley)

Three years of wandering the postapocalyptic wasteland has stripped Dr. Chris Welsh of hope—until he encounters Valle de Bravo, a haven of civilization amid the chaos of the Change. Soldiers take their orders from Rosa Cortez—the iron hand within a velvet glove. The last thing Rosa needs is a feral loner upsetting the town’s balance. However, she lets Chris stay, and as bloodthirsty raiders strike again and again, Chris and Rosa battle hellhounds and dust pirates while also fighting a desperate attraction. Second in a trilogy. Ellen Connor is a pseudonym for authors Ann Aguirre and Carrie Lofty. PNR

Must Love Lycans, by Michele Bardsley

(Sept. 6, Signet Eclipse)

Since the moment Damien showed up—gloriously naked— Kelsey Morningstone has been having a hard time keeping her relationship with the clinic’s latest amnesiac strictly professional. Even with her empath abilities Kelsey’s not sure she can get past Damien’s anger to find the cause of his delusions. After all, falling for a patient is bad enough, but falling for a patient who thinks he’s a werewolf is a whole other kind of crazy. Eighth in the Broken Heart series. PNR

One Salt Sea, by Seanan McGuire

(Sept. 6, Daw)

October “Toby” Daye is settling into her new role as Countess of Goldengreen. She’s actually dating again, and she’s taken on Quentin as her squire. So, of course, it’s time for things to take a turn for the worse. Someone has kidnapped the sons of the regent of the Undersea Duchy of Saltmist.To prevent a war between land and sea,Toby must find the missing boys and prove the Queen of the Mists was not behind their abduction. But someone is determined to stop her—and whoever it is isn’t playing by Oberon’s Laws. Fifth in the October Daye series. UF

The Rift Walker, by Clay Griffith

and Susan Griffith (Sept. 6, Pyr)

Princess Adele struggles with a life of marriage and obligation as her Equatorian Empire and their American Republic allies stand on the brink of war against the vampire clans of the north. However, the alliance’s horrific strategy for total victory drives Adele to abandon her duty and embark on a desperate quest to keep her nation from staining its hands with genocide. Reunited with her great love, the mysterious adventurer known to the world as the Greyfriar, Adele is pursued by her own people as well as her vengeful husband, senator Clark. Second in the Vampire Empire series. F

Rogue, by Michael Z. Williamson

(Sept. 6, Baen)

Kenneth Chinran commanded the elite unit assigned to take out an entire planet in a terrible war. Millions died; billions more perished in the aftermath. One doesn’t send a sociopath on such a mission. A sociopath might not stop. Chinran did stop – but in the process nearly lost his sanity and his soul. But one of Chinran’s men was a sociopath going in. Now he’s a trained sociopath with the knowledge and firepower to take out entire tactical teams, evaporate through security cordons and change identity at will. Who do you send after a killer like that? There’s only one answer: the man who trained him. SF

Shadowman, by Erin Kellison

(Sept. 6, Zebra)

There is a place between life and death known as Twilight. It’s there that the Shadowman waits and when a human life flickers out, it is the Shadowman who ferries us from one world to the next. Forbidden entrance to our world and the other, all he can do is watch and wait. Until the night love beckons him and recklessly, unlawfully, he crosses over and claims it. A terrible price must be paid, one that all humanity will suffer as well as the two lovers. PNR

Shadow Kin, by M.J. Scott

(Sept. 6, Roc)

On one side, the Night World, ruled by the Blood Lords and the Beast Kind. On the other, the elusive Fae and the humans, protected by their steadfast mages. Born a wraith, Lily is a shadow who slips between worlds. Brought up by a Blood Lord and raised to be his assassin, she is little more than a slave. But when Lily meets her match in target Simon DuCaine, the unlikely bond that develops between them threatens to disrupt an already stretched peace in a city on the verge of being torn apart. F

Stone Cold Seduction, by Jess Macallan

(Sept. 6, Entangled)

When a regular night of Robin Hoodery results in the manifestation of some, um, unusual paranormal abilities, perfume-maker Elleodora Fredricks realizes the normal world she lives in isn’t quite… normal. And neither is she, thanks to her father, king of the shadow elves. Not only is he evil incarnate, but he’s stolen her memories. And only reading her fate can fix that. Good thing she s got a trio of hotties willing to help her find said fate—if she gives them something in return. First in the Set in Stone series. PNR

Sweet Venom, by Tera Lynn Childs

(Sept. 6, Katherine Tegen)

Gracejust moved to San Francisco and is excited to start over at a new school—until a minotaur walks in. Gretchenis tired of monsters pulling her out into the wee hours, especially on a school night, but what can she do? Sending the minotaur back to his bleak home is just another notch on her combat belt. Greerhas her life pretty well put together, thank you very much. But that all tilts sideways when two girls who look eerily like her appear on her doorstep and claim they’re triplets, supernatural descendants of some hideous creature from Greek myth. YA

The Tears of the Sun, by S.M. Stirling

(Sept. 6, Roc)

Rudi McKenzie, now Artos, the High King of Montival, must fulfill his destiny. He wields the sword crafted for him before he was born. He has made friends of his enemies. He has won the heart of the woman he loves. And now he must defeat the forces of the Church Universal and Triumphant, knowing he may lose his life in the final battle. Eighth in the Emberverse/Change series. SF

Vanish, by Sophie Jordan

(Sept. 6, HarperTeen)

To save the life of the boy she loves, Jacinda did the unthinkable—she revealed her draki form to dragon hunters. Now that she’s back within the protection of her kind, Jacinda is seen as a traitor. Harder still is the knowledge that she can never see Will again. But when she has a chance to be reunited with him, is the cost too high? YA

Vampires, Zombies, Werewolves, and Ghosts:

25 Classic Stories of the Supernatural, edited by

Barbara H. Solomon and Eileen Panetta (Sept. 6, Signet Classics)

A collection of classic stories from literary masters past and present, including Henry James, Oscar Wilde, H. P. Lovecraft, Angela Carter, Stephen King, Anne Sexton, Joe Hill, and many others. Includes an introduction of and biographical notes about each contributor. UF

Virtue and Vice, by Megan Hart

(Sept. 6, Berkley)

Years ago, while lowly kitchen maid Notsah was fleeing the king’s guard, she burst into the private chambers of the very man she was stealing from: Prince Jarron Bydelay. But he showed her mercy and dismissed her pursuer, Erekon, Captain of the King’s Guard. Ten years later, Notsah has returned as Handmaiden to the new king. He might not remember her past, but Erekon does—and is determined to use her to get what he wants. PNR

Wayfinder, by C.E. Murphy

(Sept. 6, Del Rey)

Lara Jansen, a reserved young woman whose great joy is her job creating high-quality clothing for a tailor in Boston, thinks she’s nobody special—until the day a gorgeous young man who reveals himself to be a prince of Faerie begs for her help in solving his brother’s murder. The only way to solve the puzzle is for Lara to follow Dafyyd to Faerie, where an attack is made on her own life, and the mystery only deepens. As accusations fly from all sides, only Lara’s power to tell truth from lies will keep her safe. UF

The Taker, by Alma Katsu

(Sept. 6, Gallery)

On the midnight shift at a hospital in rural Maine, Dr. Luke Findley is expecting another quiet evening of frostbite and the occasional domestic dispute. But the minute Lanore McIlvrae—Lanny—walks into his ER, she changes his life forever. A mysterious woman with a past and plenty of dark secrets, Lanny is unlike anyone Luke has ever met. He is inexplicably drawn to her . . . despite the fact that she is a murder suspect with a police escort. And as she begins to tell her story, a story of enduring love and consummate betrayal that transcends time and mortality, Luke finds himself utterly captivated. Her impassioned account begins at the turn of the nineteenth century in the same small town of St. Andrew, Maine, back when it was a Puritan settlement. Consumed as a child by her love for the son of the town’s founder, Lanny will do anything to be with him forever. But the price she pays is steep—an immortal bond that chains her to a terrible fate for all eternity. PNR

Bloodborn, by Karen Kincy

(Sept. 8, Flux)

Brock Koeman always hated werewolves. While trying to trap a werewolf pack, he and his brother Chris were attacked and bitten—becoming what they have always feared and despised. While Chris fights for his life in the hospital, Brock faces another kind of battle: stifling his terrible urge to transform. When werewolves kidnap him and the girl he loves, Brock discovers what it means to be Other, and the life that awaits if he can accept his fate. Second in the Other series. YA

About Suzanne Johnson

Author of urban fantasy, paranormal romance, and suspense. As Suzanne Johnson, she is the author of the Sentinels of New Orleans urban fantasy series (Royal Street; River Road: Elysian Fields, Pirate’s Alley, Belle Chasse, Frenchmen Street (March 2018). Writing as Susannah Sandlin, she is the author of the Penton Legacy series (Redemption; Absolution; Omega; Storm Force; Allegiance; ILLUMINATION); The Collectors series (Lovely, Dark, and Deep; Deadly, Calm, and Cold); and the Wilds of the Bayou series (Wild Man’s Curse; Black Diamond).

Suzanne, what an absolute torture! There are at least 5 books on this list which are my MUST HAVEs including All The Things I’ve Done, Archangel’s Blade and Isle of Night.But the most coveted is The Rifter: Vampire Empire 2.Thank you again for such an amazing opportunity!+1 comment+1 GFC follower

Good Heavens, there are a lot of new books on my TBR list now! And WTF? I meant to re-read Crave and Covet before today so I could dive right into Envy, but I got distracted by this plotting workshop….

you weren’t kidding about a large selection. I would so love Rift Walker if I win. I loved Vampire Empire and have been dying to read more about the Greyfriar. Thanks Suzanne =)+1 comment+1 gfc follow as Tanyaw1224+1 twitter follow as Tanya1224+1 tweeted at https://twitter.com/#!/Tanya1224/status/111122607989981184Tanyaw1224(at)yahoo(dot)com